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Labour is presiding over a growing divide between urban and rural communities

Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins warns the fuel duty hike will hit the countryside hardest.

Digested week: Hungary’s election result is rare good news in a depressing and surreal world | John Crace

Not least because JD Vance’s show of support for Viktor Orbán appears to have had opposite of desired effect So much of the news is depressing these days. The wars in Iran, Lebanon and Ukraine. The cost of living crisis. At times it feels as if the world has tipped into the surreal. Donald Trump posting photos of himself on his Truth Social account as the Risen Christ. A step too far even for Nigel Farage. And the US president picking a fight with the pope. Leo is a terrible man, apparently, for

The Guardian view on Starmer and Mandelson: a story that doesn’t add up | Editorial

The prime minister’s explanation has shifted between being misled and admitting error, raising questions about vetting, accountability and what he knew In February, the prime minister apologised to victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying he had “believed (Peter) Mandelson’s lies” before making him Britain’s ambassador to the US. By March, that account had shifted. Faced with evidence that he was warned the appointment posed a “reputational risk”, but gave the peer the job anyway

‘Almost like a Bond villain’: why Labour MPs expect Starmer to cling on as PM

While the Labour leader is deeply unpopular, several factors – including the Iran war – seem to be delaying his exit UK politics live – latest updates It still feels improbable that the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, will face a formal challenge even if, as assumed, his Labour party performs disastrously in next month’s local elections. But for many of his MPs, the latest revelations about Peter Mandelson have emphasised that the question is simply one of when, not if. “It does seems incredi

Birmingham is awash with local election candidates – but will result be a ‘coalition of chaos’?

Some fear a fragmented field of hopefuls from Labour, the Conservatives, Greens, Reform and Independents could leave city ungovernable Paul Tilsley was 23 when he was first elected for the Liberal party in Birmingham’s 1968 council elections. At the time, the UK had an unpopular Labour government facing an economic crisis, tensions around immigration and US pressure to back military action abroad. Such a backdrop may seem familiar, but this May, the all-out local elections in Birmingham could no

Yvette Cooper Claims to Have Been in the Dark on Mandelson Vetting Failure

Yvette Cooper has briefed the Guardian’s Pippa Crerar that she only became aware of the Mandelson vetting debacle last night when it hit the headlines. She then spent the evening in discussions with Starmer, and they made the call to bin Olly Robbins as the FCDO’s Permanent Secretary. Yet another name to the list of…

Express readers' verdict on whether youngsters on benefits should do national service

Express readers have had their say as concerns over Britain's defences continue to mount.

<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-wes-streeting-doctors-strike-labour-keir-starmer-iran-war-12593360?postid=11535317#liveblog-body'>Whitehall mandarins incredulous over sacking of Foreign Office boss</a>

Nigel Farage erupts at Keir Starmer over Mandelson - 'Blatant dishonesty!'

The Reform UK leader warned that "none of this adds up" in an LBC interview.

A question for those desperate to cut benefits to fund defence: who exactly are you willing to impoverish? | Polly Toynbee

George Robertson has joined Reform and the Tories in making the case. Look welfare recipients in the face and say that The benefits budget is now a magic money tree. Whenever Conservatives or Faragists make wild promises – tax cuts, more police, more punishment, more bonuses for marriage – and are asked how they would pay, the answer is always “welfare”. The sums are enormous. “Only the Conservatives will cut welfare spending by £23bn and get Britain working again,” the party insists. More unex

Starmer’s credibility is now on the line with Mandelson

He once demanded resignations for misleading Parliament. Now he faces the same accusation. With each revelation, the focus shifts away from Mandelson's appointment — and towards the Prime Minister himself. The post Starmer’s credibility is now on the line with Mandelson appeared first on Conservative Home.

Sarah Ingham: Le Crunch Nouveau is French vs British defence

Were Lord Nelson to see the current state of the Royal Navy, his shock would surely be shared by Vice Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, commander of the enemy fleet at Trafalgar. The post Sarah Ingham: Le Crunch Nouveau is French vs British defence appeared first on Conservative Home.